


Pivotal

by Professor Oswin (Kirann_Oswin_Meadows)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Shattering - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-25 20:11:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13842138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirann_Oswin_Meadows/pseuds/Professor%20Oswin
Summary: The Crystal Gems have gone through a lot of stuff. These oneshots shed light on their most important moments and how they handled these situations





	1. Shattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose only ever shattered one gem but there is more to the story than people think. Find out what really happened with the story everyone thinks they know. And what went through her mind when she did it.

“The mighty Rose Quartz, she’s finally stooping to my level,” a stocky dreadlocked gem mocked.

The person to which she referred to just stared at the weapon in front of her. Her big hands caressed it, clearly unwanted memories were clouding her at the moment. “I’m sorry,” was what came out of her mouth.

“Heh, Rose Quartz, feeling guilt at what happened, that's a first,” she scoffed.

An ominous glow was cast across her face by the magma that surrounded them. Her frame, although dwarfed by Rose, was still threatening. Her scowl morphed into a sneer.

“By the looks of it, you’re no longer the saint that you wanted to be. Even if you don’t go through with that plan of yours, you’ve still thought about shattering her. Which means, I win.”

“I have to. There’s no other way. The last battle wiped out half of our friends. Citrine, Rubellite, Emerald,” in a feat of anger, Rose swiped the weapon off its mount on the wall and stormed to the center of the room.

Shoving a metal beam into the key on the floor, she began to rise into the next room. Each step she took was enough to shake the ground a bit as opposed to her usual light footed walk.

Tears began to stream down her face as she remembered each of her friends that lost their lives in battle. The one that stood out the most was the one she considered her closest friend, Jasper. Both had been separated, mid-battle. She was helpless as she witnessed Jasper being poofed and captured. She knew that many of the captured gems had their minds repurposed. They always came back to fight against the gems that were once their friends. And though they always tried their best to not shatter anyone, there were always exceptions. Times when the need was dire and the atrocious actions that it forced them to take. And with the knowledge of what was in store for her old friend, she now wanted to finish the battle a lot sooner.

The breaking point was her last hope now. The last resort. If she could get close to her that is.

“I’m so sorry Bismuth, for everything.”

-=-=-=-=-SU-=-=-=-=-

Every gem stood at once the moment the warp pad dinged announcing, their leader’s return. Rose slowly walked down the device and up to a strange fusion. The fusion’s appearance was messy, blue and red colours were mashed together as though someone had spilled them all over her. But her clothes had improved and were now smoother, with the skirt gone.

“Garnet, I need you to tell me if what I’m about to do will work,” Rose’s head was bowed to the side. She couldn’t face the Crystal Gems, not right now at least.

“Rose? What’s going on?” her Pearl asked coming up to her.

“Nothing, nothing’s wrong right now my Pearl. I just need to do a quick mission right now, alone,” she mustered up a smile as best as she could.

“Rose,” Garnet looked at her worried.

Rose faced her and gave a serious look.

“I-We, trust you,” Garnet pushed her forehead against Rose’s as Sparkle was incited between both of them. This showed Rose everything that would happen.

After a brisk nod, Rose walked towards the warp pad, even though she knew what was in store for her, where a moonstone had been watching the whole exchange.

“Can you set the coordinates to the Court?”

“Uhm, y-yeah. But isn't that...where pink diamond is?” Fear was clearly showing in her only eye. Her hair was wild, standing in tufts of ice blue.

“Yes. Please don't ask questions,” Rose was starting to get restless as she felt the Breaking Point grow heavy under her dress as she struggled to maintain her shapeshifted arm. She wiped away the sweat drops that had been forming on her face.

“Of-of course. My commander.”

Rose stood on the pad as she waited for Moonstone to readjust all the blocks that had been set up to prevent homeworld gems to warp into their base.

“So you are going to go through with it, huh?” Bismuth commented.

A lone Ametrine walked up to Rose just as Moonstone announced that she had finished. You could tell that this Ametrine was an off-colour. Ametrines were supposed to come out as navy blue, but this one came out a lighter shade. Another obvious distinction was that her gemstone was embedded on her forehead, the spot where all Ametrines always had a third eye.

But even with her defective features, she was still once part of the aristocratic gems. One of the ones power, as shown by her cape. She would come in handy in infiltrating the diamond court and bringing the diamond out into the open.

“Commander, if you are to do what I believe you're to do then…” she was interrupted by Rose.

“Yes. You can come along,” she gave a soft smile, though it did not reach her eyes.

“Thank you, commander,” she bowed her head as she instinctively gave a crossed armed salute.

The familiar ding echoed in the cave as both gems disappeared into the warp light, leaving a worried Pearl looking at the device where her commander once stood. Inside the warp Rose was able to finally let go of her construct and let the breaking point clatter onto the floor. Ametrine ogled the weapon, recognition in her eyes.

“Of course.”

Rose knew that she wouldn't be able to set foot in the court with her appearance. So she forced her dress to become the quartz soldier uniform she once possessed and had her hair shrink back into the spiky mess of a Rose Quartz soldier instead of her infamous poofy hair.

Ametrine and Rose walked together in the flower garden that led up to Pink Diamond’s palanquin. In the corner of her eye, Rose could see other Rose Quartz’s milling around. She assumed that they must be making battle plans. Though she couldn’t see any battle drills, she could hear the shouts and sounds of familiar drills.

“My Diamond? May we have a word?” Ametrine spoke out.

“Who is it?” a honeyed voice inquired.

“I’m Ametrine Facet-3S8L Cut-7XV,” she replied.

A short amount of gas was released as the palanquin opened up. The cloth that covered the front shook as a hand slowly appeared.

“Oh, Fancy,” Bismuth commented, “Are we sure we really want to shatter such a pretty gem?” Bismuth taunted, a huge grin was plastered on her face.

Ignoring Bismuth, Rose tensed up as the rest of Pink Diamonds arm appeared before her hair poked out. Rose’s arm was tucked behind her back under her hair which held the Breaking Point, ready to be used.

“Hey Ametrine, did you know that Rose bubbled me and put me in her magical lion that no one knows about? And the reason for that was that she was against using the weapon that I built for her that she has to do exactly this.” Bismuth was right in front of Ametrine, her nose nearly touching the gem’s gemstone.

Ametrine stood with her head bowed and her arms in the same salute that she had used for the rebellion’s leader. It really wasn’t difficult for her. She was a recently defected gem from a different court, which was lucky as it meant that no one would know that she had defected.

Pink Diamond was now fully in view bringing the attention of many gems to the small group. Her clothing style was different than that of her diamond sisters. Whereas they wore dresses, Pink wore a midi skirt that stretched all the way to her calves and hugged her legs tight, with a regular looking shirt that was concealed underneath a short coat that give her a semi militaristic look. Her skin and hair had a pink hue to it, which matched her clothing. She was also shorter, nearly the same height as Rose.

“Wow. I’ve never seen Pink Diamond, but I thought she’d be bigger,” said gem snickered, Pink barely passed her former leader in height.

“What is it that the pair of you want?” her voice though gruff was still soothing, making every gem feel calm, as though nothing could ever come to harm them.

“We came to, uh, report back some rebel gem activity, my diamond.” Ametrine reported quickly sneaking a glance at Rose whom appeared to be lost in thought.

With a sudden cry, Rose revealed her weapon and brought it to her diamond’s groin, where her gem was located. She triggered the mechanism causing a sudden backlash as the dull point smashed into the gem, jarring Pink’s body.

Pink Diamond cried out in pain. Her eyes gazed at the shards of herself falling to the floor. She wildly tried to grasp them but her whole body glitched making it impossible to grip them.

“Holy Shit!” Bismuth exclaimed mimicking the surprise that Rose felt.

“I WILL BREAK YOU!” Pink scrame as she lashed out at Ametrine shattering her gemstone.

“Ametrine! NO!” Rose cried.

All around her the gems finally came out of their shock at what had just happened and rushed towards Rose. Rose summoned a bubble around Pink and herself blocking the other gems from getting to them.

“Gah! WHy!?! WHY!?!” Pink looked at Rose questioningly, her eyes glowed with pure terror, “I just. I just wanted to show them that...I was important too!” tears welled up in her eyes. “I… I don’t want to go. I don’t want to die. What did I do wrong?”

“I’m so sorry, I never wanted to do this. But I was left with no choice,” Rose looked solemnly as the Diamond’s form finally vanished leaving behind her gemstone, which fell to the floor.

Outside, various gems were pounding on the bubble, their voices muffled but clearly furious.

Rose gently picked up a rather large broken piece of the former diamond’s gemstone. She quickly scooped up the rest of the broken shards and bubbled them.

After doing the same to Ametrine, Rose willed a tunnel to forme through the bubbled sphere pushing gems aside. She ran through, her lightweight making her aptly faster than the other gems. Getting to the Warp pad, she looked back to see the others giving chase. Before the warp pad could fully charge, she punched the wall sending boulders to tumble on top of the pad to prevent the Court Gems to follow her.

The Pad dinged as Rose appeared. She looked around. The new place she’d traveled to was barren and empty. Cold wind blew past, not even the sun wasn't visible as the sky was covered in clouds. She had not gone back to her base, instead she had arrived at the prime kindergarten. An old gem production site that no one ever used anymore.

Rose ran throughout the place searching for something. It took a long time but she finally found what she was looking for. A functioning injector. After opening a compartment, she placed both shattered gems into the injector and closed it.

She wasn't much of an engineering gem but Rose knew a little bit on how to work one of these machines. And after a few seconds it whirred to life. It began to harvest the shards and soon it turned them into a goop that it swiftly injected into the ground below.

“You both have a second chance now at life. My diamond, you won't have to worry about having to prove yourself, because here on earth you will be free to do anything. I know this kindergarten has sucked up all of the life here so it'll take longer for you to forme. But I promise that you won't be alone when you emerge. I will see you in a millennia or two.”

Rose turned towards Bismuth who was still following her, “I'm sorry for what I did to you old friend, but you were, are still dangerous. I've kept you in my mind for way too long, but I have to let you go now.”

Bismuth looked at her with an uneasy look, “This isn't over Rose. I will be free someday. And when I am, I won't forgive you for what you've done. Especially because the crystal gems don't know about me.”


	2. Alpha and Omega

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Sapphire felt something that fateful day. Their encounter gave birth to something beautiful. That scared homeworld.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my very first time trying a poem so I will eagerly accept any kind of feedback. Doesn't matter if it's mean or constructive. I learn from mistakes.

**Sapphire**   
  
My world used to be black and white   
That was before I met you.   
  
The days already planned what they wanted from me   
Travel Follow See   
But I never truly saw   
I'm glad that the first time I opened my eyes was for you   
  
I'll never forget the splash of colour that flooded me   
Colours splashed onto one world   
One where we were the only ones who existed were us   
  
Girl you turned my life upside down   
A world destroyed replaced with a light   
And no more frowns   
For the only thing left from the past was a blight   
  
One eye is all I need   
To drink in your mind   
  
**Ruby**   
  
Attack Destroy Hate   
It was my only breath   
Such was my cruel fate   
Forced to live until my death   
  
When my eyes found you   
My world changed   
And you knew it, true   
But our society never aged   
  
Destined to be immortal   
Without you at my side   
The universe knew it would be immoral   
  
You were destiny controlling the cosmos   
But I embodied volition

In spite of that I would reign destruction on thine enemies   
Our bridges were already under construction   
  
  
I was ready to do whatever it takes   
Mountains fell aside   
Drained away were the lakes

No longer would the world bide

 

Nearly shattered was I

Threatened by your mind

I was yours and you were mine


	3. Kindergarten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Several thousand years after Rose planted Pink Diamond and Ametrine's shards in the Kindergarten, a new gem emerges. Spending decades in isolation is the worst for anyone. Especially a newborn gem. This is how the Crystal Gems met Amethyst.

Somewhere long forgotten by time a crevice, in the side of the massive canyon, slowly formed. It grew slightly bigger as years passed. The only visitor it had long since stopped coming. Whatever was about to exit into the world would do so all alone. Such was the nature of life. Except this wasn’t part of our natural world.

The day the being emerged from the wall was like any other day. Dark and grey, clouds looming above threatening anything that would get near it. Looming machines silently awaiting the arrival of the final thing to be born out this destruction.

A small form pushed out of the wall and fell to the open floor in sending up white smoke. In its place was a gem. Big and purple. The only thing able to shine with life in this miserable place. White light began to extend from the gem forming hands and legs before fading away once more. It seemed as though she still wasn’t ready despite her willingness to be in the world.

Many cold nights and days passed by. The gem remained in its spot on the ground. It was as big as the world would get for her. At least for the time being.

After many exhausting tries and many weeks later, the gem was finally able to form a coherent body. She was small for her species. Quartz gems were meant to be warriors. Tall and built ready for a fight at a moment’s notice. Her appearance was the opposite of all that. She was small, round. Her appearance resembled that of an innocent child rather than a warrior. Her hair sat on her shoulder in white curled locks.

She looked around curiously at what would be her first sight and home, “Hello?” No response came.

Refusing to be disheartened, she set out to explore her surroundings. Amethyst knew what she was supposed to be and what she was meant to do. But none of that mattered if there was no one around to assure her of the nuance directives that persisted in her head. After a while, her mind calmed. No voices bugged her anymore. And for the first time she was truly alone.

  
  


Her life was lonely. But she somehow managed to fill her time and entertain herself in the empty place that was her home. She spent her time looking for rocks to add to her collection back in her hole she stayed in. Big or small, it didn’t matter, she’d collect them all regardless. She knew what it felt like to be abandoned and she didn’t want them to suffer what she went through for the first few years.

“Bigsy, Alan, Sar, Ninny, Yulik. I’m home!!” Amethyst announced as she dropped the stones she’d gathered outside the hole in a small pile. One of them was as big as her though and had to be pushed to the side so it wouldn’t block the entrance.

5 small pebbles were assembled based on their heights at the back of the small space. The young gem gave the stones a big smile as she picked them up to bring them outside.

“Look. I brought you guys some friends so that you won’t feel lonely when I leave” -she held them out in her chubby hands beaming at her accomplishment- “I know that you guys don’t like it when I leave home so I thought I’d do this. Now be nice to them. They’ve been all alone, just like we used to be. I bet you’ll love each others company.”

They look so happy, she thought. Tears threatened to fall as she began to imagine her deepest desire.

“You look so happy. Surrounded. By the ones like you.” she began to sing as tear drops splashed on the ground.

If only, I were you.

I would never give up on my  _ facet. _

To stand near them, and protect them would be an honour.

But alas, I am lonely just like when I came in to this world!

 

With no memories, one would think it would be easier.

But in truth.

This makes the experience a whole lot harder.

 

When you spend. As much time alone like me.

You might just go crazy.

Insanity would be such a great gift!

Anything to take my mind of this experience.

 

Is this it?

Is this what it is like to be living?!

Why does this hurt so much!?!?

Years and years go by without a change.

Trapped in this horrible place!!

 

With no memories, one would think it would be easier.

But in truth.

This makes the experience a whole lot harder.

 

With nothing in my head.

Other than programming.

It makes my life so much difficult!

 

If only, I were you.

I would never give up on my  _ facet. _

 

Why do they, have it so much better?

They aren’t even alive.

 

Is this it?

Is this what it is like to be living?!

Why does this hurt so much!?!?

Years and years go by without a change.

Trapped in this horrible place!!”

 

Amethyst squeezed her hands around the pebbles she held. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed. She turned to look at the rocks she had gathered earlier and rage built up inside her. Sounds of stone hitting stone and scattering everywhere echoed throughout the canyon as she chucked them against the boulder. She jumped high into the air and curled into a spinning ball in mid-air on instinct. The moment she hit the ground she skidded for a few seconds before gaining traction which sent her crashing into the boulder.

She fell backwards, dazed. The boulder cracked in two before shattering into small pieces of stone. Realization struck her as she realized what she had just done.

“NO!! Come Back! COME BACK!!” Amethyst scrambled in a frenzy trying to find the 5 pebbles that scattered into the nooks and crannies in the surrounding area. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry OKAY!! I’m sorry,” she sobbed as she collapsed into a heap.

Next to her were only 3 of the five pebbles she managed to find. She curled up into a ball as she sobbed. Her cries were eerie in her gloomy home replying to each other as they bounced from wall to wall.

The next day was hard. Her blowout was still fresh in her memory. Its claws sinking into her mind and refusing to let go. It was a slap in the face to keep reminding herself that she would forever be alone in this gloomy hellscape.

Right now in an effort to clear her mind, she was searching for a new hole to call home. And she was doing so on the other side of the Kindergarten hoping that being farther away she from her exit hole would enable her to forget the whole situation.

A glint of orange caught Amethyst’s eye. Stuck in a crevice in the middle of the place was an orange shard. It almost looked like Amethyst’s gemstone except that it was smaller and jagged. She gasped as she realized what it was and what it meant.

“Sis? What happened to you?” she asked the gem shard weakly.

Amethyst spent the next few hours sitting down with her back resting on a wall next to an exit hole. Her conversations with the shard were mindless small talk. She knew that it would never be able to reply back, but she no longer felt lonely anymore.

A brief bright flash of light washed over everything casting huge shadows. In a panic she popped the shard into her mouth and swallowed it hoping to keep it safe inside of her. She rushed to the source of the light.

The source was a huge warp pad that she’d discovered during her many explorations of the kindergarten. 3 tall figures were conversing on it. Amethyst watched them intently wondering what they were doing here. She was excited but wary at the same time. It was the first time in her life that she was seeing gems. But she didn’t know whether they were dangerous or friendly.

A huge gem with pink curled hair that bobbed with each movement finally broke off from the group and headed in the direction of Amethyst’s old exit hole. She looked like the leader from what Amethyst observed. The other two looked at their leader as she slowly disappeared from view. The tallest of the two had a visor that hid her face along with hair that was shaped into a square and rested above her head. Unlike the other two, she didn’t have any visible gemstone. It might be on one of her hands that were crossed in front of her she decided. She lurked off in the direction where she once saw a gigantic computer once.

The other gem was shorter but she was still tall. Her lanky limbs had her raised far above the ground. Amethyst was sure that if she stood next to her she’d be dwarfed by the gem’s size. Her clothes looked fancy and had a light blue hue to them. A large pointed nose made a giggle escape from her. It was loud enough for the echoes to reach the other gem grasping her attention. Amethyst quickly ducked beneath a nearby boulder as she looked in her direction.

“Rose? Garnet?” she heard her call. No answer came signalling that they were both alone for now. “Hello? Who’s there? It’s okay to come out. I won’t hurt you,” she assured.

Amethyst’s breathing quickened as she heard the footsteps start again. Thoughts raced as she tried to think about what she was going to do. Her curiosity finally won as she curled up into her spin dash and rocketed toward the stranger. She squealed as she exited her dash and fly up into Pearl’s awkward and panicked arms.

“Oh dear, what have we got here now?” Pearl chuckled.

“Pearl!?” Garnet and Rose both came to the warp pad running.

“Pearl what happened. Who is that?” Garnet’s thick accent puzzled Amethyst.

“Uh. I don’t know. She looks like a quartz. A bit off coloured. But yeah, she’s a quartz alright,” Pearl answered as she shifted her weight to better support the new small gem.

“Well whoever she is, she is prettier than a diamond,” Rose gave her a warm smile.

“Wait, so we’re gonna keep ‘er?” Garnet raised her visor revealing three eyes underneath, each one a different colour.

“I guess you can put it that way,” Rose chuckled as Amethyst stuck her tongue out at Garnet.


	4. A Letter to Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short vignette that focuses on Pearl's thoughts of Rose. This is just a little something I worked on for my birthday yesterday. Thank you all for reading.

 

Pearl

My wonderful Rose. It’s been 14 years since I saw you. That should be considered a nanosecond to gems, but to me it feels like life times. I miss being there to witness your curiosity at all things human. How you’d experiment at all the things you considered wondrous. And let’s be honest everything was beautiful to you, that’s one of the many things I loved about you.

    I think that you would be glad to know that Steven, your son, has been doing great. He really takes after you. All the things he’s done would amaze you. His compassion has turned homeworld gems to our side. He has refused to even think about shattering gems, just like you. And he has even stopped a homeworld geo weapon from forming, just by being kind.

    Steven’s even taken to trying to clear your name. He’s made it his new mission to find out what happened in the shattering of Pink Diamond. I do not think that it is a wise idea, but if he is like you then I know that he won’t be convinced to let it go. I just hope that he doesn’t get hurt, and he won’t not as long as Garnet, Amethyst, and I stick by his side.

    Sometimes I wonder though, what did happen to you? Ever since you left us, my interests have been peaked by Earthling religions. Though I do not think that we actually apply to their concepts of heaven and afterlifes as we are artificial. We are not organic and therefore do not technically have souls. But one can only hope. And hope I do that we will see each other once again. Maybe not right now, but certainly in the distant future.


End file.
